Fragmented Hearts: Shattered Reflections
by PirateArrowXAB
Summary: They wake beneath the endless sunset, two young people bound together by necessity and a shared destination and goal. Wrenched from the safety of Sora's heart, Roxas and Xion find themselves stranded between the worlds, with nobody to trust but each other. Memories are forgotten and hearts are found, as they rebuild their friendship amidst the threats of another Keyblade War.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: In which nobody wins.

"…An' this program'll stop any bad guys from usin' it, so the datascape's pretty much as safe as can be!"

Two miniscule books floated within the inverted glass pyramid, the information on the large screen beneath them flickering wildly as the machine updated itself. Sora stared at the collection of screens and wires, fascinated by both the appearance and purpose of the device as Chip chattered on. He, Riku and Kairi were gathered in the king's library at Disney Castle with Donald and Goofy, listening intently to the royal engineers as they explicated a digitizing device. The king himself was absent, having been summoned to the tower of Yen Sid that morning with no explanation and leaving Sora and his friends to listen to Chip and Dale's rambling jargon and winding descriptions of 'The Machine'. Apparently it had been designed to create a digital version of the 'world data' contained in Jiminy Cricket's journals. The chronicler himself was perched proudly atop the newest addition to the machinery: the Digi-Cannon.

Jiminy and the mechanics had launched into the origin story of the Digitizer earlier, spinning a tale of a data-Sora and a Riku-shaped journal, and of the mysterious message that had threatened the very essence of the records. Sora had been tempted to let his mind drift, unable to understand the majority of the terms and phrases used, but he understood the nature of the events. The journal had been corrupted by the presence of a girl called Naminé, and in battling the dark contamination the king had been trapped in the Datascape with Donald and Goofy, and later with two of their oldest opponents: the evil fairy Maleficent, and her disgraced lackey Pete. When the smaller occupants of the room had recounted the ending of their adventures, however, Sora had stopped shouting out questions, leaving his friends to query the chipmunks and cricket. Riku had told him of Ansem's message, of the people he now sheltered in his heart and would have to save someday soon. Two teenage boys, completely identical. Two teenaged girls, with similar faces but opposing appearances. A young man and woman, both garbed in armour and apparently important to the king. And then there was a lanky redhead, his face marked with reversed teardrops, his presence in the data the only real mystery.

" _Then again_ ", Sora thought, huffing out a silent laugh,

" _what isn't a mystery with him?"_

The hero of the keyblade had, of course, formed a bond with the former assassin after he'd saved him from Xehanort. It was a tentative sort of friendship: for all Sora was willing to forgive Lea for everything he'd done, the redhead didn't seem to feel he deserved to be part of the team. If he was being honest with himself, this was partly due to Sora's friends: Riku had stated his mutual dislike of the man soon after the Mark of Mastery, and Kairi was still nervous around the former nobody. (Lea wasn't helping matters: he made no effort to bury the hatchet with either of them, and stubbornly refused to find a new outfit.) He was wont to drop off the radar for days at a time, (although he always made sure someone had an emergency recall spell handy), before showing up at the strangest times with his usual sardonic smirk and no explanation whatsoever. Their friendship had survived mostly due to Lea having nobody to train with but him and the king, the occasional surprise ice cream, and Sora's complete refusal to address him as anything other than Axel. Still... what? The keyblade hero was startled out of his reverie by Kairi's discreet nudge, and looked up to see everybody looking at him expectantly.

"Uh?"-he managed eloquently.

Chip threw his hands up in despair.

"What Chipper _said_ was that the Digi-cannon'll scan you an' your heart an' everything before letting you into any Data-port", Dale huffed.

"We got the idea from the Data-you", Jiminy added with a smile.

"And it's really delicate and expensive and we need a bigger budget and if anyone touches it…" muttered Chip, before blushing as everybody turned to look at him instead.

A quiet chuckle drew the attention of the audience back to the corner of the library, where the newest Keyblade master leaned against the edge of a bookshelf.

"So, Chip, what you meant to say is that it's off-limits to Sora and Donald?"

The guilty party stared at him, before Donald began to protest their innocence in loud tones. Sora's dazed look left his face and he clapped a hand to his heart, his mouth dropping open as an affronted expression spread across his face. The exaggerated look was replaced with a bright smile as Donald stalked towards Riku, Goofy reaching down and confiscating his friend's staff before he could attack the white-haired teenager for his comments. Again. Catching Kairi's eye over the heads of the library's occupants, Riku was gratified to see her cover a smile at his remark. Winking at his lifelong friend, he sidestepped the incensed fowl, cupping his hands around his mouth to be heard over the indignant sputtering.

"Hey, I don't know much about technology, but I'm pretty sure _jumping_ on stuff to get it to work is _not_ a good idea. Chip? Dale? Back me –"

"WAAAAAAAAK!"

"…Ow."

Kairi slumped against the wall, breathless from giggling at the antics of her friends. Goofy had hoisted Donald aloft and away from the white-haired teen, the enraged duck's limbs flailing out at his lanky companion. Sora had taken the wizard's place, jokingly waving his arms at his best friend while making as much noise as possible. Riku bore this with long-practiced patience and a fond grin, rubbing his knee as he held Sora at arm's length, his hand pressed against Sora's tanned forehead. Choking back another fit of laughter as Donald broke free and dashed for Riku, Kairi pushed herself up and crossed to the machine, ready to stop the fight should one of them come too close to the contraption. Perched safely on the monitor, Chip sighed in relief at her actions while Jiminy smiled at the presence of common sense, although Dale continued to shout simultaneous abuse and encouragements at the fighting. The hero of light and the captain of the King's guard had now collapsed in laughter as Riku let out an indignant shout at his new icy hairstyle, then hopped back as the court wizard aimed his next blizzard spell at his feet. Spells of every kind whizzed around the room along with -

"WA-HA-HOOOEY!"

-Goofy's shield, and yet everything important was miraculously untouched. Kairi stood before the ruckus, her eyes bright and her heart fit to burst with joy. It wasn't the tranquil silence of the Mysterious Tower, nor was it the warm golden familiarity of their home island. But all three of them were here, all three of them were _safe_ and _together_ and _happy_ , here in this colourful, noisy chaos. Here in the arching rooms and sprawling hallways that were starting to feel like home.

They'd been sent to Disney Castle again to allow Master Yen Sid peace for another afternoon of scrying, the latest of many. He had been distracted lately, often falling into trances and reciting arcane verses, even with the current lack of conflict. The worlds had been peaceful lately, with no sign of villainous activity since his Mark of Mastery four months ago. Their time had been spent training Kairi and Lea to master their keyblades, as Sora and Riku honed their skills and chased leads on the people trapped in Sora's heart. Nobody was entirely sure what to make of the sudden quiet – on one hand, they were grateful for the time to prepare for Xehanort's next move. On the other hand, they feared their enemies banding together, or lying in wait and gathering their strength. They recognised the threat that the new organization, but with the lack of retribution from its members, they had allowed themselves a measure of complacency in recent weeks, the figurative calm before the storm lulling them into a false sense of security. And so it was that the keyblade wielders were separated from the king and their newest ally, the security of Yen Sid's magics absent, when the deceptive stillness finally broke.

Laughing helplessly, Sora stumbled back towards the bookcase, slumping against it much like Kairi had minutes before. Donald's aggravated shouting had quieted to a garbled string of curses as he dissolved the ice that spiked along the floor, while Riku helped Goofy extract his shield from underneath a pile of snow. He was delighted that his closest friends were getting along so well, each duo easily accepting the other. Now, if only he could convince Ax...

 _-zap-_

A flashing zigzag of blue light in his field of vision interrupted his thoughts. ' _There's no way the king'd be back this early, not after Yen Sid's message_ ', he thought, jumping to his feet just as the line exploded outwards, sending a large shape flying across the room, and crashing into the bookshelf. His smile faded as he summoned his keyblade, stepping forward as Kairi and Riku did the same. Donald cast a swift fire spell, handing Goofy his shield from the hissing pool of water. As one, they stepped forward, readying themselves for attack as a loud guffaw echoed from the debris.

"Well I'll be. The library of the great boat-boy king 'imself! I knew this doohickey would work!"

Dusting the ripped pages and broken shelves from his gut, Pete stepped forward. He clutched a star shard in his fat fingers, its usual glow dimmed by the ropey darkness that looped around it. He frantically tucked it behind his back, his face briefly falling at the team before him, but his frown swiftly morphed to a sneer at the heroes assembled before him.

"Heh... look at all the fancy-schmancy key schmucks. Now, Mr Royal Mouse is all tied up, so, kiddies - no help there! Youse bozos can be good and just give me that Digi-Data-thingy contraption, or yours truly'll just have to clobber you all and take it anyway!"

The library was silent. Its inhabitants were stalwart before their enemy, only slightly uneasy at his confidence. Riku stepped forward, placing himself beside Sora.

"You've never actually won a fight against any of us, especially not Mickey. Where'd you really get that star shard?"

Anger transformed Pete's features as Donald hissed at him from the back of the group, drawing his attention away from Kairi and Goofy sneaking over to stand back at the machine.

"Yeah... you couldn't even take one of us alone! How're you gonna fight all of us together?"

Anxiety flashed across the cat's face once more, but it quickly dissolved into his typical cocky smirk, a strange aura beginning to emanate from his portly form. The villain linked his hands behind him, rocking backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet.

"Huh. Weell, I guess you could say I gots an ace up my sleeve."

At his words, a hollow _boom_ echoed in the distance. Dust drifted from the ceiling, more books falling from the shelves as the whole room shook. Chip and Dale yelped behind them, the machine's apparatus crackling as it swayed before settling. A thumping noise came from the doors, Sora and his companions whirling to face them when they heard panicked cries for help from beyond the room. A disgruntled growl came from behind them, and Sora was knocked forward, his weapon disappearing as a heavy weight slamming into his back and left him gasping for breath. From the corner of his eye, he saw a similar fate befall his friends as Pete bombarded the group with his signature bowling balls.

"Watch out for Petey, punks!"

Clutching his side, the hero of light struggled to his feet while resummoning his keyblade and settling into his usual low stance.

"I don't know what you've done to the castle, or even the King, but I do know there's no way you can win against all of us. Give us that star shard and leave!

Summoning another round of missiles, Pete began to laugh.

"How's about… NO!"

Donald was the first to react, raising his staff and casting a barrier spell. The second wave of projectiles pounded the glowing wall of hexagons, leaving the shield to flicker weakly. By then it was too late, as the heroes had already organised themselves according to Riku's hurried instructions. Sora and Riku charged past the barrier to meet Pete in a head-on combo attack, Donald covering them with a wave of thunder spells. Goofy had left the machine for Kairi to guard, and was working on getting the double doors open, the voices behind them steadily increasing in both volume and urgency. Some kind of dark sheen had covered the wood, Goofy's shield doing little to no damage to the oily substance. Kairi had remained at the machine, but alternated her time between watching for attack and casting light-based spells at the door. The five worked together like a well-oiled machine, likely the result of their rigorous training sessions even with their false sense of security. Snarling, Pete summoned a third collection of missiles. These, however, were oddly shaped and glowing. Eyes widening, Sora felt Riku grab his arm and drag him downwards as Donald screeched a reflaga command.

"I'll show you!"

Pete snarled, sending the wave of bombs flying towards the heroes. The barrier gave out after the first ten, leaving the keyblade wielders to dodge and block the remaining explosives. Behind him, Sora heard Riku muffle a curse as the final bomb clipped him, throwing him sideways into a bookshelf. Before Sora could act, however, he heard Kairi cry out from beside the machine.

"Heal!"

His worries for Riku abating, the hero of light rushed towards the brawler, unnoticed by Pete as Donald hit him with another Thundaga spell. Dodging behind his foe's bulk, Sora began a complicated series of slashes across Pete's unprotected back and neck. His blows were made even more effective by the after-effects of Donald's thunder magic, and Pete was knocked across the room, only for Riku to batter him with a Strike Raid.

Roaring in anger and pain, Pete flailed his arms in a wild defence while stumbling around the room, before letting out a yell and charging back at Sora. The keyblade wielder was frozen in shock for a split second before moving to block the charge – only for Pete to crash into him, sending him flying back towards Donald –

"Waaak! Sora!" –

and for the two of them to fall back into the badly-abused bookshelves, stunning both of them. His belly glowing with a blinding light, Pete then ran for Riku, his arms trailing behind him. Kairi shrieked a series of Cura spells at the downed pair before casting Pearl at their foe. He was knocked forward by the light spell, the glow around his stomach dying away. Rolling to his feet in the manner of an oversized bowling ball, he stood up just in time for Riku to slash him across the face, his keyblade wreathed in flames of darkness. Yowling in pain and clutching his nose, he crashed back to the ground.

Sora and Donald had scrambled to their feet at this point, and ran forward to stand by Riku. They watched the brawler with a certain sense of apathy: he'd exhausted any second chances they might have offered him a long time ago. Popping his nose back into place with two large fingers, their adversary got slowly to his knees, an air of defeat surrounding him.

"You've lost, Pete" Riku said. "Again."

The cat's shoulders began to tremble as if he was crying, and he brought a hand up to cover his mouth. He suddenly lurched to his feet and looked at them, but his expression surprised them more than his sudden movements. Pete was _laughing_. Sora and Riku looked at each other in shock, Donald moving backwards slightly from his position beside them. Pete attempted to cease his guffaws, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his midsection.

"D-don't youse bozos remember that… that ace I mentioned?"

All eyes turned to Goofy, his frantic hammering at the double doors yielding no result. At Pete's words, the knight began to back away from the now dented wood, his shield raised as he drew level with Donald. Sora's attention was swiftly drawn back to Pete when his laughter abruptly stopped. The entire room was frozen for an instant, for eternity, until Pete raised his arm and snapped his fingers. The heroes exploded into action: Riku, Sora and Goofy running to the door, while Donald raised his staff and Kairi her keyblade to cast a reflect spell. They were too late. The oily sheen on the door melted to the floor where it began to roll in on itself, leaching the lighter colours from the tiles. The doors burst open, allowing the terrified shouts from the hall to fill the library. A number of figures, coated in a putrid black substance fell over onto the library floor. Sora reached them first, catching a hold of an arm and pulling its owner upwards – blackened fingers coiled around his arm – Riku was pulling him away –there was a deafening roar – cries of shock – and a tide of darkness swept into the room, engulfing everyone in its chilling mass.

He couldn't see. The Darkness was impenetrable, his eyes useless and the previous screams muted by the viscous substance. Fear gripped him, overpowered his mind, his worries for his friends and the people around him magnified by a thousand, by a million, until he was rendered immobile by terror. The silence was deafening, any and all movement around him overpowering. And suddenly he became aware that somebody was gripping his arm, and another person had their hand fisted in the back of his shirt, and was pulling him backwards. He endeavored to keep his mouth shut, as he moved with his savior, adrenaline momentarily overcoming the horror with the presence of others , in turn dragging the person attached to his wrist as his lungs screamed for air. His will failed him, his need for Oxygen overwhelming, and he opened his mouth to gasp in a breath – just as he was pulled from the darkness with an oily splash. He gulped down air, slumping back against his rescuer - Riku- as he untangled his hand from the younger teenager's shirt, both of them liberally coated in the cold, horrific substance. Sora let his head fall back, noticing the barely controlled dread in his best friend's eyes, and tried to let his gratitude show in his own, momentarily robbed of his speech. Riku acknowledged him with a small smile before surveying the battlefield. Sora looked down, only now remembering the figure clinging to him – and froze at the sight of the queen.

Minnie was barely conscious, her dress dyed as black as her fur with Pete's "ace up his sleeve". Concerned - no, terrified for her - as he was, Sora's attention left her as he scanned the room hurriedly for his other friends. His eyes skimmed over Goofy and Donald helping Daisy to her feet, all three splattered with the foul liquid, as was the majority of the room. The library was completely destroyed, the few remaining books floating in black puddles, and the king's desk a pile of smashed and stained wood. Behind him, he heard Riku's sharp intake of breath, and his eyes fell on Kairi. Her appearance wasn't worrying; she had only a few tar-like stains up to her knees, her position at the Digitizer (conspicuously absent of a black coating) allowing her to advoid the worst of the apparent liquid darkness. It was her proximity to their foe that caused him to rise to a crouch, gently lying Minnie on one of the cleaner patches of floor as he brandished his keyblade. Pete stood in front the princess of heart, completely unharmed by the dark liquid. The marks from their battle had disappeared, and the brawler seemed almost… energized by the darkness, a sneer gracing his features as he held Chip and Dale captive in one of his meaty fists, Jiminy in the other; the three somehow snatched away in the chaos.

"Now youse punks are gonna zap me into that weird data place, before I pop these pipsqueaks like balloons!"

Pete turned as he spoke, brandishing his hostages above his head. Neither protested: Chip and Jiminy appeared to be unconscious and Dale was hacking up pieces of darkness. Kairi looked to the other side of the room: Goofy and Donald now stood on either side of Sora and Riku, Daisy helping Minnie to sit up behind them. All were drenched in oily black, but their expressions and drawn weapons spoke of their willingness to continue fighting. She glanced at Chip and Dale, then back to her friends – only to see Riku give her a slight nod.

"We can't" she said, a slight quaver in her voice.

"Wrong answer, girly! Wanna try again?"

Dale let out a squeak and Chip began to stir as Pete's fists tightened, Sora and his friends instantly yelling out protests:

"No! You can't!"

"Waaak! Let them Go!"

"Dale!"

It was Riku, shouting above the others, who finally caught the villain's attention.

"The machine won't work for you, Pete!"

Pete shot him a skeptical look, but loosened his hold on his hostages. The glare he sent their way, however, held a dark promise, and Riku continued before their foe could lose his patience.

"The machine's got an enemy block. If the journal says you're against us, the technology won't work and you can't enter the datascape."

Sora noticed their foe's eye twitching, and quickly jumped in:

"And we can't reverse the blocking system 'cause the system's shut down 'cause you're here and there's darkness everywhere!"

Dale, his lungs finally cleared of the gunk, spoke up in a raspy squeak.

"Wh-what Riku said. Also, Chipper put you an' a load of others as core villains: you'll never get in, even if we shut off th'enemy block."

An expression of disbelief had slowly been creeping across Pete's face as they spoke. Now that the room was silent, the baffled look had begun to warp into something wicked and murderous. Spinning on his heel, their nemesis launched the royal engineers and record-keeper at them: Goofy caught Chip, and Dale sprawled on top of one of his oversized shoes. Jiminy flew on, bouncing off the tattered remains of Daisy's skirt before she fumbled for him, finally catching him before he fell to the ruined floor.

"FINE"

Pete bellowed, darkness crackling around his fists. The liquid evil, which until this point had been sinking and pooling away from them into a large puddle at Pete's feet, stretched and thinned into another wave. Rearing up behind the brawler's hulking form, it was held back by his outstretched hand until he shouted again.

"Well if this machine don't work for yours truly… THEN IT AIN'T WORKIN' FOR ANYONE!"

He stamped towards Kairi, the wave speeding across the floor to Sora's group.

"REFLEGA!"

cried Donald and the three keyblade wielders in unison, their spell resulting in a temporary impenetrable barrier, not around them, but surrounding Pete, trapping him inside the purple sphere with the darkness. Riku was the first to move, dashing to Kairi – just as the sphere cracked – darkness spilled – a spiked fist crashed into his stomach. He hit the wall beside a shocked Daisy and Minnie, Sora and Kairi crying out his name as Donald ran over to him, uncorking a potion. The reflect spell had exhausted them all, and they had no supplies on hand to replenish their magic. Now wreathed in fluid black armor, Pete resumed his rush at the machine's sole protector. Sora started to chase after him, only to fall flat on his face as something cold oozed around his ankle, halting his running and yanking him up into the air. A series of whip-like protrusions writhed from the back of Pete's new armour, giving him the appearance of a dark sea anemone with a grotesquely swollen body. Hanging upside down and battering the tentacle with his keyblade, the hero of light desperately tracked Kairi's movements. She was holding her own, ducking the multitude of dark tentacles and occasional projectile from the writhing mass that was Pete. His punches were easy for her to dodge, his weight often pulling him off balance, and her light-based spells shielded her from the shadowy mist now surrounding her and the machine. She could win this, Sora internally cheered. But his mood dropped with a quick scan of their situation; Kairi was now the only fighter left standing. Riku was attached to the ceiling with a suffocating blob of shadows, and Donald and Goofy were swinging around Pete, wrapped in dark, sinewy strips and dazed from the numerous obstacles they had been smashed into. Kairi had to win.

Sudden pain distracted him as a second tentacle caught his arm, pulling it downwards and away from his body so that his keyblade became useless. He cried out in shock, feeling as though he was being pulled apart. A shriek brought his attention back to the fight, as they all yelled out for Kairi. Her fighting style, although swift and agile, lacked power and stamina. Worn out by her constant dodging and a sly, darkness-fuelled punch, she had been backed into a corner, and was now powerless to prevent the rain of blows she received from her armoured foe.

Sora screamed, in fear for his best friends, in frustration and shock at his situation and inability to utilize the keyblade to save them. The primal cry was joined by those of his friends as Pete shoved the weakened Kairi aside, and raised his fists above the keyboard and screen of the machine. And as their enemy delivered his first brutal punch to the device, something answered.

A wave of light rolled outwards from the keyblade hero, dissolving the darkness that held him a prisoner and reaching out for the one that had hurt him. Sora opened silver-hued eyes, floating in a ball of glowing warmth that energized and empowered him, much as the darkness had done for Pete. The radiance separated into thirteen elegant columns, which spread across the room to destroy the bonds that held his friends. A second wave of slightly smaller columns converged around Pete, attacking the darkness that surrounded him and melting away his armour. Pete crashed to the floor, cowering away from the beams in his unprotected state. There was a small lull, the light beginning to fade from around Sora, and his friends gingerly rising from the ground, until they all turned at the sound of screeching metal. With the main circuitry crushed by Maleficent's lackey, and its supports weakened by Sora's unexpected attack and the tide of darkness, the Digi-cannon had come loose from its brace. The noise was all the warning they received before it began to shoot digitizing bursts around the room in a random pattern.

The room descended into chaos once more, but this time its inhabitants weren't fighting. Donald had miraculously produced a single ether from somewhere, and was creating shields around the inhabitants of the room. Minnie and Daisy had been sheparded into a corner; the twin engineers crouched beside them, Jiminy limp on Daisy's. Goofy stood before the frightened castle inhabitants, his shield held out and one of Donald's barriers protecting them all. Riku was covering Donald's back, keeping an eye on his friends and their foe, who had recovered enough energy to start moving. Pete had actually turned to face the new keyblade master, his mouth opening to say something – Riku stepped forward, dodging a beam, raising Way to the Dawn above him –a stray beam hit Pete, catching him completely by surprise. They could only watch, stunned, as their attacker was reduced to a digital silhouette, and then nothing. If the software was malfunctioning to the point where it would work on Pete…

"We have to destroy the machine!"

Riku yelled, Donald hastily enacting another barrier as a collection of blasts headed for the frightened huddle.

"I can't keep this up for much longer, Sora!"

the mage rasped, before ducking behind another shield to avoid more blasts.

About to respond, Sora's eye was caught by the latest trajectory of the rogue cannon, and the person it was now aimed at. Kairi, who had been inching towards Goofy ever since Sora's attack, froze like a deer in proverbial headlights as they all screamed her name, crying out in unison for the second time in as many minutes. Time slowed to a standstill for Sora. The shouts of his friends were drawn out and incomprehensible. Donald raised his staff: a futile gesture. The boost from the ether had run its course. Goofy and Riku both broke away from their defensive positions, running for the keyblade-wielding princess. They'd never make it in time. Sora hadn't known it was possible to move as fast as he could move now. He was at Kairi's side in an instant, pulling her behind him, shoving her backwards and away from the wall and – the – be a m . …

Their shouts faded away. He couldn't feel anything. He thought he might be floating, but he didn't really care.

" _What was I doing?",_ he wondered. _"Why's everything so white?"_

A sudden emptiness flooded him, almost a physical sensation in its intensity. The pain shocked him out of the apathetic haze surrounding him, his thoughts memories from the last few minutes clamoring to be heard.

" _We were fighting… Pete? And he summoned darkness… and… and KAIRI!_ "

A second wave of hollowness, somehow even more painful than the first, washed over him when he thought of her. He began to struggle, fancying that he could reach after whatever had been torn away from him, whatever had reduced him to this desolate husk. Silver arced into his field of vision, the whiteness gleaming with reflective stripes, as a screeching crashing noise beat at his ears. His head began to hurt, he thought he clutched at it with both hands. The silence had evaporated, a collection of voices hammering at his ears. The encompassing radiance began to fade away.

" _NO!"_ he cried silently, reaching outwards. _"Come back"_ he whispered. His hands attempted to drop back down, the plaintive gesture useless, but his fingers were clutched tightly. Slim fingers lacing through his own; pulling him back. Strong, calloused fingers gripping his hand tight; grounding him. The voices reached a deafening peak, and he gasped, his eyes snapping open, brimming with tears. Aqua framed by silvery white, reddish brown floating over indigo whirlpools. Concern and fear, relief and hope: the emotions swirled together, losing clarity and meaning. Sora managed a smile for them, his eyes momentarily bright behind the salted trails, before his head dropped backwards, vision darkening and breaths slowing as the emptiness took him.

…

 _Blinding light and silent screams and the dizzying sensation of falling._

 _An endless, chystalline abyss; soundless but for the distant beat._

 _Gleaming shards arise from the tangled chains; melding and melting, smoothing and silvering, and twin mirrors hang before him._

 _It shudders, this sanctuary, shaken by the desperate cry._

 _He turns, shocked by the calling of his name, and the lustrous walls turn deadly, the unlimited depths suddenly a prison without escape._

 _And turning again, he adds his own startled voice to the deafening cacophony._

 _His shock, his fear: all are reflected in the familiar, alien gazes for an endless heartbeat, before the chrystal walls shatter, and the dream dissolves around them._

…" _SORA!"_

He was startled awake, overwhelmed by the ambient sensations. Smooth stone beneath his back, face and chest bathed in comfortable warmth, a distant silence surrounding him. Cracking open one eye, he immediately clenched it shut again, unprepared for the crimson brilliance filling his vision. Bracing himself on one arm, his other hand across his face, he struggled to raise himself into some sort of sitting position.

"Ugh, feels like I've been asleep for _ever_ "

She didn't want to open her eyes, reveling in the sensations surrounding her. There was a rough stone structure at her back, a light breeze caressing her face and plucking at her hair. Thick material was sandwiched between her cheek and the ground… a hood? Her eyes cracked open, glancing over the black material pooling around her head and covering her form before travelling upwards, to settle on the sun-soaked terrace.

"I'm… here?"

He shaded his eyes, the glaring haze focusing into a familiar orange-hued terrace, backlit by a radiant red sun suspended above the horizon. Rolling onto his side, he scanned the immediate area, taking in his surroundings.

"The clock tower? Why was I lying here? And where're… huh?"

Rising to his feet, he crossed the short space to the low wall, ignoring the small dizzy spell caused by the movement. Crouching a short distance away, he stared at the prone figure dressed in the black coat, starting in shock as they… no, _she_ , raised her head.

Movement to her right caused her to turn her head, gaze sliding along the stone slabs until it stopped on a blond boy wearing white and red and grey. Her mouth dropped open, her body moved without any conscious thought. A strangled screech pierced the lazy silence even as she fell to her knees, her arms coming up to latch around his shoulders.

"ROXAS!"

This… could she even call it a feeling? She wanted to shriek again, wanted to clutch him tighter, wanted to let go of the moistness that suddenly itched at her eyes as she held him to her tightly. The frantic rush of 'wants', however, abated when she realised that her best friend was stiff in her arms, her embrace unreturned, and a cold silence beginning to grow. Shifting backwards, numbness spread over her exhilaration, the brief tide of unfamiliar emotions shriveling away at the hostility on his face, and the cold confusion in his eyes.

He looked at her, this girl in the strange black coat. Black, to match the hair that fell over deep blue eyes. Frowning, he pulled away from her embrace and stood over her, asking the question that had nagged at him since he'd first noticed her.

"Who are you?"

* * *

 _Hi there! Thanks for reading this far; and I hope you enjoyed the opening! So… this story has been in development for quite some time, and it shouldn't go the way of 'New Sunsets' (which I will go back to, by the way: I just haven't had much inspiration lately, and I'm more motivated to write this story). Updates might be a bit sporadic, but I'll try not to keep them any longer than two to three weeks apart._

 _And…Arrow out!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: And I've lost who I am.

The golden glow of the late afternoon shone through the gauze of the curtains, illuminating the hazy silence of the barren room. A table lay near the door, a grey-dusted chair resting haphazardly across its single leg. Colourless scraps of paper stirred on the wall opposite the window, their former companions lying forgotten on the cracked tiles. It was below the cobwebbed glass that she sat, formless drapes billowing around her still form like a pair of aimless wings. Vacant blue eyes stared unseeing towards the floor from under the shadow of her hood, ink-clad arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her mind picked absently over her memories, submerging itself in the past to distract her from the events of the day, but with little success. Even when she could concentrate on her happier times with Axel and Roxas, it was as if she was a stranger to her innermost thoughts. Cherished friends; afternoons spent laughing; the injustice of her purpose; even the curious memories of another… She considered them all, over and over, feeling only the keen absence of, well, anything really. And yet, she was a nobody of sorts, so why should she have ever had any sense of emotion? Her arms tightened, her gaze dropping and darkening. Why would she even need emotions? She was a forgotten replica, a thing without friends or purpose. A discarded, discordant doll, wishing that she had a proper heart, if only to feel how broken it was possible to be.

A muffled shout from beyond the dusty window shattered the mournful silence, distant voices reverberating through the forgotten room. She shrank away from them, curling in on herself beneath the window and silently pleading for their owners to leave. The noise persisted, however: shouting and cursing and… the sound of combat? Her curiousity piqued, she unfolded from her hunched position and pushed back her hood, rising slightly so as to hear the noise better. Inching towards the glass while staying out of sight, she strained to comprehend the garbled shouting. Twitching aside one of the flowing curtains… she stumbled, dropping back down to the floor. Her face whitened after seeing him, the higher of the muted voices finally registering. His presence unlocked the memories of that morning, allowing them to rush into her mind in an unstoppable tide of cold fragments; a wave of hurt and loneliness rising up and taking her over.

 _Frowning, he pulled away from her embrace and stood over her. His eyes crinkled, no trace of recognition within their cerulean depths. His voice was cold and unfeeling, his posture wary as he stepped back._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _She knelt there, staring at him, completely at a loss for words. Her mouth worked soundlessly as she struggled for an explanation, her mind busy supplying her with useless facts and queries:_

 _-Why are we here he's not wearing his coat where'd he get those clothes how are we both alive again oh no did he go back to Sora I felt him return didn't I why are we in Twilight Town Wait… Where's Axel? -_

 _"Axel!"_

 _She blurted out, hope stirring in her chest. The look on Roxas' face changed to one of confusion. He made as if to speak, but Xion continued on with a desperate torrent of words;_

 _"You don't remember me, we were best friends, Naminé said you'd forget me but what about Axel? He's our best friend too, why isn't he here? What hap…" –"STOP!"_

 _Xion jerked beck as if slapped, the echo of Roxas' shout hanging heavy in the air between them. His expression had returned to one of animosity, although there was still some confusion in the furrow of his brow. He dropped his head into his hands grimacing as if in pain. Seconds passed before he allowed his hands to fall away, revealing the complete lack of emotion on his face. They stared at each other for an immeasurable time, the air charged with anticipation. Uneasy in the restless silence, Xion rose to her feet and made as if to walk towards him, but he halted her with a raised palm. Looking away, he began speaking in a flat tone, which gradually filled with anger:_

 _"I have no idea who you are, and I've never even met anyone called Axel. I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull here, but my best friends are Hayner, Pence and Olette, not some weirdo in a suspicious coat!_

 _He looked back at her, his expressionless mask slipping and his features contorting with malice as he continued to speak._

 _"In fact, you're probably just somebody Seifer paid to mess with us and make us look bad. Or maybe you're the one that's been stealing stuff all over town, and now you're trying to… oh, I don't know, get me on your side and then blame me for all the trouble you've been causing!"_

 _A wave of numbness, both mental and physical, had spread over Xion. She could only stand and stare at her former best friend, his words hitting her far harder than any blow or spell ever could. She barely registered him turning away after his last accusation, his shoulders slumping as the fire from his rage dissipated. His next few words were quiet, his tone once again emotionless._

 _"Whatever Seifer told you to say, or… whatever you actually think, I've honestly never met you before in my life. Just… leave me and my friends alone."_

 _He turned back slightly; mouth moving as if to say something else, and Xion stepped forward, her hand unconsciously moving to catch his arm. Her eyes were wide; pleading with him for… she didn't know herself what one thing she could want. Recognition? Understanding? An explanation? They stayed like that for a moment, an achingly familiar scene, but oh so different to the last time they had stood together like this. He looked up into her eyes, his own filling with pity before dropping downwards. He gently pulled his forearm out of her grip, turning for one last time before he walked away, following the path into town._

 _Xion was left standing below the shadow of the clock tower, her thoughts whirling uncontrollably. She suddenly stumbled backwards into the wall, hand coming up to press against her mouth as the reality of the events slammed into her. Waves of heaviness and apathy attacked her chest in turn, an itchy feeling undulating behind her eyes. Somewhere below the platform, laughter echoed in the sluggish afternoon heat, a painful mockery of their carefree contentment in their usual spot. With that bittersweet memory tearing through her mind, the thought of Roxas' bright, caring smile contrasting the animosity of their arguement, the heaviness in her chest overtook her slight form. She slipped back into a crouch against the wall, her entire body shaking as she grasped desperately for the numb lack of emotion that had previously gripped her. Trembling below the far-reaching light of the setting sun, Xion finally succeeded in immersing herself in the current of emotionless that raged beneath her grief. Standing, she wrapped her arms firmly around her waist and headed into the streets below, the entrance to the tunnels clear in her mind. The sunset glinted briefly off the faint trails that marked her face, before she scrubbed her arm across her eyes and disappeared into the deserted streets._

 _It had been more than an hour at this point, and Xion was still no closer to finding her friend or any kind of answers. She had left the Station Plaza determined to catch up with Roxas, although she had little idea of what she could say to him once she had accomplished that. As she had walked toward the centre of town, however, the air around her had grown more hostile by the minute. Shell-shocked by her confrontation with Roxas, she hadn't even seen the first few pedestrians, unaware of the suspicious glances and unwelcoming looks that followed her. A passing shove from a blonde teenager, however, caused her to pay proper attention to her surroundings. A sense of hostility filled the now-bustling streets, enough to permeate her self-induced cloud of emotional numbness and allow fear to creep into her mind. Seeing a familiar arch, Xion lowered her head and tried to push towards it, but the crowd surged against her, blocking off the entrance to the distant town plaza. Buffeted further along the streets, the black-clad girl could hear a steadily growing murmur fill the air. Allowing herself to be pushed along by the human tide for a minute, she concentrated on the words: a series of similar phrases, repeated over and over;_

 _"Suspicious…black cloak…thief…shady…"_

 _Panic attempted to join fear in bypassing Xion's emotional barriers, but she shook both from her mind, clinging to apathy and logic. The crowd had grown more active, jostling her between people and steadily further from the town plaza. Eyes searching wildly for an escape route, she focused her gaze on a nearby ledge. Pushed towards a white-haired girl with dead eyes, she ducked away from her and started running, speeding ahead of the rabble. A tanned, muscular boy swung his fist at her; she twisted under it and grabbed his arm in one fluid motion. Jumping, she used the boy's shoulder as a launching pad and leapt for the ledge, catching it with one hand. Her breath came in gulps as she pulled herself onto the rooftop, gut clenching as she glanced over the edge at the expressionless faces of the mob. The murmur had increased to a dull shouting, the noise nearly distracting her from noticing stragglers peeling off towards nearby steps. Ignoring the voices, Xion stood and ran back towards the plaza, quickly leaving the throng of people behind her._

 _After a nonstop dash through the rooftops and quieter streets, Xion found herself in an eerily deserted area of scattered shops and circular paths: Twilight Town's plaza. She had circled it twice, finding it to be utterly devoid of people or noise. It came as a shock, so, when she circled around one of the cylindrical stalls and knocked into a tall figure with a black hat. They both cried out in surprise and backed away from each other, the young man quickly halting and looking Xion up and down. He was blonde, with a scarred cheek and wearing a blue and white coat over dark baggy trousers._

 _"Hey, you OK?"_

 _He began, clearly taking in her defensive stance and lack of breath. Xion didn't answer him, the actions of the crowd still fresh in her mind._

 _"Just, y'know, I've gotta know if stuff's happening in my town that I should hear about? Suspicious stuff, shady people… black coats…"_

 _His expression and tone faded away as he spoke, the nuance of his voice melting into a monotone and his eyes deadening. Xion didn't stick around to see what happened next; already running as soon as he mentioned her coat. She hared across the plaza, thinking of the deserted underground concourse, when an irregularity in the plaster of the walls caused her to skid to a halt. She could see the dark forest beyond the break, and suddenly thought of the mansion hidden in the woods. Memories of Naminé, DiZ and Riku flashed through her mind, interspersed with a merciless inferno and a determined vow, before she quashed the thoughts with undeniable logic: few people visited the mansion, fewer still actually entering it. It would be somewhere quiet and vaguely safe for her to actually consider the events of the morning, and try to somehow make sense of the inexplicable happenings. The distant sound of voices finalized her decision, and she passed from the empty silence of the sunlit streets to the calmness of the leaf-dappled forest beyond without another thought._

Lying on the floor below the window, Xion finally shook herself from the grip of the memory, although the heavy feeling once again gripped her chest. She had no time to attempt to numb her fledgling emotions, however, as something dark roared over her in a wave of heat and glass shards, crashing into the wall across from her prone form. Uncurling slightly from her fetal position, Xion risked a look at the missile… that had just set the toppled furniture aflame in a dark blaze. Instinctively, she shot her hand out to call to her weapon, but cringed away at the last second as she remembered something. Springing to her feet, she dashed for the door, determined to escape from the rapidly spreading flames. She was just reaching for the door handle when a second roar came from behind her, a wave of fire snaking around to block the exit, almost as if it had sensed her intentions. The memories that assaulted her with the heat and sound were bright and blurry, spiked and sharpened with yet more pain;

"Stuck with the icky jobs…always be there to bring you back!...Xion!"

She stumbled back, spinning as she tried to force down the panic and pain and memories. There was another gust behind her, and she simultaneously stumbled back and turned to face it, lifting her arm to block it and scrunching her eyes shut in preparation for the flames… that never arrived.

There was a bright flash, shining through her closed eyes, and the roaring of the flames abated somewhat. Opening her eyes, she saw the shadowy inferno shying away from her raised arm, the dark colour of the flames lightening to a dull red. A slight glow caught her gaze and she yelped, bringing her hand towards her face. Her fingers and palm were surrounded with a faint aura of light, which faded away even as she stared at it, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Robbed of its dark aura, the inferno abated into weak flames, their bright tongues searching weakly for fuel. Xion barely noticed the fire dying away, her mind helplessly attempting to make sense of the latest event. She was somehow alive again, Roxas didn't recognise her, and now she was using light magic without a keyblade? The attack itself was also confusing: the fire seeming somehow sentient? And it couldn't have been Dark Firagra, not with the way it had transformed back into a normal blaze. She walked past the window, eyes fixed on the charred door, until a loud cry shook her from her whirling thoughts. She snapped her head around to look down on the gates and the courtyard below, having forgotten the original cause of her panic. Two figures moved in a deadly waltz below her; the larger swinging heavy blows to contest the swift lunges of his opponent. The smaller fighter evaded him with silver parries, flashing guards and stifled cries… Roxas was on the defensive, and losing ground fast. Her mind made up in an instant, Xion dashed once again for the stairs.

She'd checked her panels at one point in the afternoon, disinterestedly eying her empty slots before staring at nothing once more. She cursed her indifference now, as she clattered down the stairs; she had no potions, ethers, or elixirs, and nothing but her most basic commands equipped. Even then, there was little she could do without her keyblade, and she flat-out refused to put him in danger again. Reaching the front entrance, she shouldered open the heavy doors and slipped out into the courtyard, judging the fight with one quick glance before running for the gate.

Roxas was nearly on his knees by now, crouching by the left wall as he desperately fended off his lumbering opponent's punches. He had summoned his keyblade, occasionally countering or parrying an attack, but his fighting held none of the power and technique that Xion remembered from their days in the Organisation. He wasn't really doing much more than wildly swinging the blade back and forth, luck more than anything allowing him to deflect the wild attacks aimed his way. Mentally skimming over her panels, Xion thrust her hand out towards Roxas' assailant, crying out;

"Hey! Blizzard!"

A miniscule ball of ice hit the juggernaut on the shoulder, and Xion froze as he ceased his attack on her former best friend. Apparently Roxas wasn't the only one to have lost his previous levels of ability: the ice was malformed and slushy, and her stamina was already flagging from that small spell alone. The magic had done its job, however, as Roxas' opponent had turned to face her, ignoring her friend in the process.

"Wha!", he griped, surprise lining his sunken eyes and heavy scowl,

"Thought youse Organisation bozos were out of it! Oh well, get in line, girly, cause Petey's gotta bone to pick with this here… Whu?"

Taking advantage of her distraction, Roxas had moved away from the wall, and out of the range of Pete's fists. Eyes flickering between the two, he came to a decision and rushed the brawler, jabbing his keyblade at his knees and shoving his shoulder into his impressive gut, knocking the villain backwards into the wall.

Flailing his arms, Pete went down with an enraged bellow. Roxas crossed to stand beside Xion, glaring at her before moving instinctively into his low-balanced guard position. Speaking through gritted teeth, he addressed the downed cat.

"Look. I don't know anything about a machine or a 'datascape', I don't know anyone else with something like this -he hefted his keyblade into the air- and I'm _really_ sick of people treating me like I'm someone else!"

Xion flinched at his last statement, but stood quietly beside him otherwise, already focusing her remaining energy on casting one of her more powerful commands.

Pete had stood up by now, and was openly snarling at the pair.

"Uh huh? Well, I'm really sick of youse key brats and Xehanort wannabes getting in my way. MOVE IT!"

A wave of bombs flew towards them, Pete following the attack at a charge. Xion's hastily cast Thundara took out two of the missiles, Roxas deflecting a third, but the remainder exploded before the two could react. Xion groaned slightly, thrown backwards by the blast, before scrambling to her feet in a cloud of choking smog. She could vaguely see Roxas doing the same thing a little distance away, before something blasted into them with enough concussive force to send them flying back into the opposite wall.

Silver starbursts glimmered behind closed eyes, a faint sensation tugging at the back of her mind before dissipating as she woke properly. And then the pain hit her. A stream of vulgarities rushed through her mind as sharp pains raced along her back, limbs and head. Looking up, her pain was quickly forgotten at the sight of Pete holding Roxas aloft; one hand bunched in the front of his shirt, the other stretched out as lightning gathered in his palm. Her breath stopped, her mind suddenly knife-sharp with purpose as she glimpsed silver and gold glinting in the yellow grass beside the two figures. The world slowed to a standstill as she somehow went from lying on the ground to a dash, the tilting and blurring of her field of vision little more than a minor distraction as she ran towards her goal. Pete's crackling fist moved at a snail's pace, his head turning towards her and his expression changing at a comically slow rate. She crouched, gloved fingers closed around the knurled black hilt, her vision focusing as she sprang upwards and swung the weapon towards the lightning held in Pete's fist. For an instant, they were frozen; Roxas hanging limply in the villain's grip, Xion's form almost touching his as she blocked the movement of Pete's hand with her borrowed weapon. And then the world rocketed back to its normal speed.

A few things happened at once. Pete jerked back with a cry, dropping Roxas in his panic. The lightning attack met the teeth of the keyblade, silver lit by jagged phosphorescence before the electricity was blasted back towards Pete with a flash. His portly form seized as the energy hit it, his eyes promptly rolling back and his body crashing to the ground. Roxas had let out a yell as he hit the battle-scorched earth, his head shooting up and his gaze locking on the keyblade held in Xion's hand. The young woman herself had stumbled back after Pete's attack had backfired, the keyblade held before her in an instinctive guard pose. She let it fall to her side now, the threat lying unconscious (occasionally twitching), and turned her head to meet her fellow keyblader's gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, apologies and explanations already preparing themselves in her mind, but all that emerged was an airless croak, and she dropped like a puppet with severed strings.

She was dimly aware that she was curled on the ground, Roxas' keyblade clutched in her outstretched right hand, and that all she could feel was pain. The injuries from her fight, the emotional wounds from that morning: both shriveled in insignificance to the agony that overtook her now. It was concentrated in her chest, her left hand pressed against the origin of the suffering as both her vision and ability to breathe came and went in waves. There was a humming in her ears, but she was vaguely aware of a faint noise to her right, which slowly separated into undecipherable speech. Her right arm was yanked back, the fuzzy conversation trailing off into a wordless yell. She was suddenly screeching back as the pain increased to an unbearable level, the stabbing in her chest nearly rendering her unconscious before disappearing completely. She was left gasping, chest heaving as her eyes shot open and she jolted upwards, the sudden lack of sensation shocking her into action. The white noise in her head had disappeared with the pain, the mysterious voice also absent. She strained her eyes to make sense of the blurry mess of colours that greeted her: shadowed hues of green and brown dotted with brighter reds and yellows. Blinking, she managed to concentrate on a pale spot directly in front of her and it sharpened, becoming a blonde boy with a pale, shocked face, a silver weapon held beside him as he knelt before her. Confused, she shifted her gaze to the keyblade, and then twisted slightly to the left, raising her hand to eye level in order to study the object held tightly in her grasp. Silver hilt and teeth, squared golden hand guard, a familiar chain and charm. She held a keyblade, completely identical to the one in the grasp of the teenager before her.

Speechless, she looked back up at him, shock and confusion reflected back at her. There was a low groan behind Roxas and both stiffened, eyes widening as they leapt to their feet. Pete had rolled onto his front, a snarl obvious on his face. Seeing Xion's expression, Roxas swiftly turned to face the villain… the world spun with him. Scenery blurring, ground tipping, a high-pitched whine filling the air… Pete stumbled back, hands clapped over his ears, before he too blurred, and then disappeared. Roxas' head whipped back around so that he could face Xion, who found herself unable to move. They stood motionless for an endless instant, the world dipping and twisting around them. Blue locked on blue, a momentary oasis in the hazy storm around them, and then he too was gone. The clearing snapped back to normal, both Roxas and their opponent conspicuously absent. Xion slumped back, keyblade automatically dismissed and eyes wide, as whatever spell had held her still dissipated. Her breath caught as she stared at the space where Roxas had been. The grass around her was pristine, the scorch marks gone from the walls. A light breeze whispered through the trees, birdsong the only sound in the calm of the afternoon. Xion slowly rotated, flinching as her injuries suddenly reminded her of their presence. Her thoughts were sluggish, shocked into inaction for the first time that day, save for one.

"What the hell is happening here?"

* * *

 _Yeah, so… hi? Ok, first off, I'm genuinely sorry for the wait. Next, I can swear here and now that I'm not going to abandon this story – I actually have the entire tale summarized and planned out. It's just that I'm something of a procrastinator, and summer honestly wasn't the best time for me to begin a multichapter project. I'm back at collage now, so updates are gonna be much more regular!_

 _Thanks to any and all reviews, faves and alerts, they are truly appreciated. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you soon with Roxas' thoughts on the situation (and an explanation for at least one of the crazy things that happened here)!_

 _-Arrow out-_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three: Strange things are happening.

The afternoon sun beat down on the worn paving stones of the sandlot, the courtyard devoid of all noise but for the heaving gasps of the teenager slumped on a peeling bench. A slight breeze circled the arid space, alleviating the heat of the day somewhat, but did nothing for the burning flush in Roxas' cheeks. He had collapsed onto the seat after a frenzied dash through the twisting side streets, bypassing the entrance to their spot completely in his agitation, and only slowing when forced to decide between the multiple exits from the sandlot, a task that required _some_ sort of rational input. He put his head in his hands, attempting to wrestle his panicked brain into a state of calm so that he could make some sense of what had just happened. Shuddering breaths wheezed through his unnaturally tight throat, the inside of his mouth coated in saliva from the run and the nausea that roiled in his gut. He forced his rapid gasps into a long, shuddering exhale, head dropping into his hands and whirling thoughts subsiding somewhat as his breathing gradually slowed. He should get off the bench, should calm down and walk back to their usual spot, see his friends…

" _We were best friends… Axel? He's our best friend too, why…"_

Fragments of the cloaked girl's conversation struck the relative peace of his mind, the familiar images of Hayner, Pence and Olette shattering into the afterimage of distressed indigo eyes. His head shot up as he inhaled sharply, but he exhaled determinedly once more; refusing to relinquish the scant control he held over his respiration. His encounter with the weird girl had shaken him more than he would care to admit, and the bizarre conversation continued to assault his thoughts.

" _Aaaarrrgh…"_

A few startled blackbirds took off in a rustle of feathers as Roxas yelled in frustration, rising determinedly to his feet, and savagely steering his thoughts back to his friends. Hayner. Pence. Olette. They would have gathered in the usual spot by now, and probably would be wondering where he was. He set off, mind focused on his trio of friends, nobody else, feet traversing the familiar path without any real cranial input. The unknown thief had been a real hot topic lately, and Hayner would probably be complaining about their reputation again, paranoid that everyone would start blaming them for everything. And if Seifer had anything to do with things, everyone probably would…

" _Just somebody Seifer paid to mess with us… maybe you're the one that's been stealing stuff all over town…"_

He slowed, allowing himself to run through the accusations he had shouted at the stranger. There had been no real thought behind them; simply accusations that he had blurted out in an attempt to rationalize her impossible (uncomfortably familiar) claims. The sick feeling in his stomach lessened, the ache in his throat beginning to disappear as things started to make some sort of convoluted sense to Roxas. The thief, the rivalry between Hayner and Seifer, who had a history of dirty tricks and shady friends… maybe the cloaked girl had something to do with it? The way she had grabbed him, yelling weird stuff that freaked him out… could those have been distractive techniques so that leave him shaken and distracted? Maybe… maybe she had even been trying to rob him! He had a vague sense that people in black cloaks were bad news; perhaps he had heard that from another townsperson? She could be the thief! His eyes widened, his slouching stride quickening as he thought it over– this all made perfect sense! If it was true, then he could identify the thief, placate Hayner, save their reputations _and_ brag that he had survived an encounter with the robber – he quickly patted his pockets – unscathed!

By the time he arrived at the chain-link fence, Roxas was absentmindedly whistling, switching between thinking over his theory about the black-cloaked girl (who was most _definitely_ the thief), and his strategies for the upcoming Struggle competition. Twitching aside the curtain, he ducked away from the bright afternoon light, and into the cosy shade of their usual spot. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth; the soothing presence of his best friends erasing the last traces of his agitation from that morning as he began to recall his encounter with the thief.

"Hey guys! I just met the weirdest girl and you are not gonna believe who I…think…"

His sentence trailed off as he stared at his friends, none of whom had stopped their conversation to look at him, completely ignoring his arrival. His contentment dipped as he settled onto a vacant box near Olette's sofa, his smile dropping into a bemused pout at the lack of acknowledgement. His frown deepened as they continued to ignore him, and it struck him that he couldn't quite make out what they were saying, despite his proximity to the three. He grimaced as he noticed a faint buzzing in his ears, and leaned towards a wildly gesticulating Hayner in an attempt to hear their muted conversation…only to jerk back as Hayner swung to face him with a strange look in his eyes.

"Man, doesn't that tick you off?"

Roxas' mouth dropped open, shocked by his spontaneous introduction to their discussion, and Hayner's complete disregard for his greeting. He shook his head slightly and made to speak, only for Pence to cut across him and reply to Hayner's question;

"Yeah, that's just wrong."

If possible, Roxas' jaw dropped even further, his thoughts a tumultuous mess as he attempted to understand why his friends were completely ignoring him. He closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. The strange girl this morning, his friends giving him the silent treatment… was this a dream? He suddenly became aware of the lack of noise, and looked up to find his three companions staring at him expectantly. He flushed, a slight stutter present in his speech;

"Uhhhh…. Yeah, I-I don't really know what…what're we talking abo-"

Hayner suddenly jumped to his feet, startling Roxas into silence once more as he began to pace the small boundaries of their usual spot.

"I mean, its true that stuff's been stolen around town, and we've got a score…"

Roxas could only stare helplessly as his best friend began to complain about Seifer and their reputation, refusing to even look at the other blonde as he strode back and forth. Shifting sideways on his crate, Roxas attempted to catch his friends' eyes… only to notice their total lack of expression. Olette and Pence were both staring into space, their gaze only sharpening when Hayner passed in front of them. Hayner himself sounded to be on the verge of spitting in fury at their tarnished reputations, his arms waving wildly, but his eyes were curiously vacant. An expectant silence pervaded their space once again as Hayner came to a halt in front of Roxas, staring at him as if expecting an answer. Screwing his eyes shut for a moment, Roxas struggled to recall the point of Hayner's speech… something about tracking down a culprit and clearing their names? He had been prepared to point fingers at the girl from the plaza, but with Hayner's current mood, he was liable to simply dash through the door, and track down and interrogate every dark-clothed girl in Twilight Town. Perhaps he could gradually work towards revealing the girl as the culprit, and in the meantime, allow Hayner to calm down…

"Uh, well… we could… find the real thief?"

He was relieved when the trio actually allowed him time to consider and deliver his sentence before speaking, Hayner interrupting Olette's praise to shout about Seifer as Pence disappeared off into the corner of their hideaway. Smiling, Roxas surveyed his friends. The clamour of voices, this chaotic sharing of ideas… this was more like their usual meetings. He relaxed slightly, slumping back against the wall. Perhaps he had been imagining the strange, blank expressions… maybe the ignoring act was another of Hayner's less well-thought-out pranks, although this one reminded him uncomfortably of Seifer's callous sense of humour…

"Oh no! They're gone! Our _ are gone!"

…Or perhaps there really was something bizarre going on today.

His friends had moved to stand in a loose circle, facing each other and shouting at the top of their lungs, their words punctuated with random silent gaps. Roxas straightened, rising slowly to his feet as he stared at the trio. His friends continued to ignore him, but as he approached them hesitantly, they swung around as one to face him with an expectant air. He froze, struck dumb by the strange turn of events. Silence pervaded the air.

"Uhhhh…"

Hayner folded his arms and stared at him, his face contorting into a bemused scowl.

"What kinda thief is that? Seifer could never have pulled that off."

Roxas stumbled backwards, knocking the back of his knees against something hard. He collapsed back onto his crate, burying his head in his hands. The nauseating sense of unease twisted his stomach, the sickening feeling he had managed to quell earlier returning with a vengeance. He vaguely heard Hayner mention something about recon, and looked up to where they had been standing, face red with embarrassment and annoyance.

"Look, guys, this really isn't funny… anymore…"

His words hung in the empty space before him, Olette passing by his side as the trio ran through the exit. He stared straight ahead, stunned, as the echoes of his friends' laughter faded to nothing in the underlit depths of their hideout. The low lighting pressed in on him, the cloth-covered walls and miscellaneous furniture now claustrophobic without his friends' presences to push back the shadows. This had to be some kind of sick joke, right? It had to be…

He remained slumped on the crate for an undeterminable amount of time, his stomach continuing to roil as time passed, and his attempts to rationalize his friends' behaviour became less and less enthusiastic. Seconds became minutes, which became something like an hour, and still the trio didn't return. Shaking his head, Roxas compressed his lips into a thin line and stood, plodding to the exit and twitching aside the curtain. The warm sun twinkled mockingly, high above the abandoned street before him. He scowled. If this was the game they wanted to play (he hoped beyond hope that this was some kind of twisted game), then he could make a move or two himself.

Turning, he began to march up the street, removing himself from the door to their hideout before they returned (if they returned). Roxas stamped towards the tunnels, intending to avoid his friends for the rest of the day. He turned off his phone as he walked - let them experience the feeling of being ignored. His ire gradually faded as he continued along the streets, however, his sense of disquiet steadily increasing. Twilight Town was completely deserted, the streets empty and the surrounding buildings devoid of noise. Despite the lack of people, however, the feeling of being watched sent ceaseless shivers along his spine, and he stopped to glance around him more than once.

He stopped dead when he realised that he had entered the sunset plaza, and looked around frantically for the cloaked girl from earlier. He was relieved to note her absence, but also slightly perturbed: her presence _had_ kickstarted the chain of strange happenings of the morning, but at least she had spoken to him like a proper human, no matter how senseless her conversation.

Looking around hopelessly, he headed for the entrance to the tunnels, but paused before passing into the shadows. Scanning the plaza once more, he shivered at the total lack of noise in the afternoon air. It was the last week of summer vacation: where _was_ everybody? He was struck by the sudden urge to get out of the town, to leave behind the strangeness of the morning and the bizarre silence of the now, if only for a few minutes. The train station entrance sat enticingly in the corner of his field of vision, but he found himself instead stepping through the looming entrance to the tunnels. His journey was swift, despite his lack of a destination, and he emerged from the tunnels in a matter of minutes. With his eyes shaded against the sudden stab of light, he saw that he had emerged into Tram Common.

People milled in the distance, the first signs of life present since Hayner, Pence and Olette. He moved as if to wave, taking one halting step forwards, but the image of his friends and their vacant, unseeing eyes flickered to the forefront of his mind. He hesitated, then turned, passing the various shops and heading towards the far boundary wall. The sensation of being watched increased yet again, the back of his neck tingling. Turning his head slightly, he was greeted with the sight of a small crowd gathered around the synthesis shop. A steadily growing crowd. A crowd composed of people now looking straight at him. He turned back, his walk becoming a jog. A low murmur filled the air, and his jog became a full-out sprint. A steady litany of "Get out get out get out" replaced his thoughts, the lurking nausea attacking his stomach in full force. He dashed for the town boundary, his eyes raking the bricks for the distinctive gap… There! He didn't dare look back, the murmur now a dull roar, as he jumped forward and forced his body through the gap in the wall that led to the forest.

Stopping at a fallen tree, Roxas collapsed to a seat and attempted to control his breathing for the second time that day. The sense of mindless terror had loosed its grip on him as he had sprinted through the silent woods, but anxiety still clenched his stomach and tightened his throat. He peered over his shoulder, searching the shadowy tree trunks for any sign of life, but the woods remained empty. The sensation of being watched had faded, but he still felt the occasional prickle across the back of his neck. He swung his feet distractedly, looking down as he considered what to do next. The toe of one sneaker brushed over the crushed remains of a small patch of bluebells, and he coloured slightly at the unwarranted destruction of the flowers. Wait.

He looked up sharply, his eyes moving from the flattened flowers to the trampled grass beside them, then to a displaced patch of woodland debris and beyond. A trail of destruction, greenery agitated in his frenzied run, leading away from him… directly to the town entrance. It would be child's play for anyone seeking him to simply follow it. Shuddering, he heaved himself off the log, taking care to step only where he had stepped before. The log was only ever meant to be a temporary respite, and now he had more reason than ever to move on – taking a great deal more care this time.

The silence continued as he began to walk away from the log, absent-mindedly dodging foliage, but he didn't allow his guard to drop. There were no empty-eyed friends or murmuring crowds present, true, but the shifting and rustling of the plants, and the deep shadows in the denser areas of the woods, carried a different danger to the strange feeling in Twilight Town. He often found himself looking over his shoulder, ears tuned to strange noises amidst the whisper of the trees as he continued his trek through the woods. It was this constant state of alert, however, that very nearly caused his downfall. In hearing a noise behind him, Roxas had whirled to scan his surroundings, hands curled into fists. He narrowed his eyes, staring into the gloom around him, but saw – and heard – nothing. Relaxing his stance, he turned back in the direction he had been walking, and was greeted with a large fist hurtling towards his face.

Roxas let out a yell of shock, his legs collapsing beneath him and the fist passing harmlessly over his head. His body somehow continued the dropping movement, his chin tucking into his chest as he rolled forward, bypassing his assailant. He emerged from the roll and spun on one leg to face his attacker his other leg shooting out behind him to steady his stance as his right hand inexplicably shot out to the side, his fingers moving as if to grip something. He looked up, straightening and shaking out his fingers, then dropped his arm and backed away, struck dumb at the sight of his colossal attacker.

"Gah! Youse keybearin' brats and your fancy moves! Would it kill you to STAY STILL!

Roxas barely had time to consider the 'keybearing' word before the behemoth swung another fist at him, forcing him to throw himself backwards into a dense copse of fir trees. Pushing himself further into the foliage, he listened to the loud curses and insults, watching his attacker and waiting until he moved as if to smash his way through the copse… and promptly pushed himself further through the tightly packed trunks. The sharp creaking of breaking wood filled the air as Roxas' attacker began to force his way into the copse, tree trunks snapping like matchsticks before his swinging fists. Roxas and his assailant continued then backwards movement until the wall of trees at Roxas' back began to thin, before disappearing altogether. Stumbling backwards, confused at his sudden freedon to move, he dithered slightly on the other side of the copse before a large fist emerged from between two trees, stripping bark and branches from their trunks. Roxas turned and ran.

Countless shades of green, brown and black burred together as he sprinted through the trees. A loud yell rent the air, and he glanced over his shoulder to see his attacker charged towards him. Looking forward once more, he glimpsed a flash of white in the corner of his eye – the abandoned mansion. He veered towards the distant mansion, darting between the trees as his ears filled with panting and gasped curse words. The sounds of giant behind him grew in volume, the ground beneath his feet seeming to shake with his chaser's every step. The open space before the manor's gates came into sight ahead, and Roxas forced himself to run even faster. He bolted across the grassy approach, throwing himself towards the high gates… and was yanked backwards as a sudden force grabbed him by the back of his jacket and pulled.

Roxas yelled in shock and fear, his oversized opponent looming over him as he shook him by the back of his jacket and growled at him.

"Knew I seen you before… you was in sandsville with the ginger porcupine when 'e was workin' for those organisation schmucks! What's their pet keyblader doin' out all by 'is lonesome in the woods?"

The brawler's head tilted, mouth twisting into a puzzled frown.

"Speakin' of, no uniform? You quit?"

His eyes widening at the insinuations, Roxas ignored the questions and snarled out a few choice phrases of his own, twisting and attempting to kick the cat in his knee.

"What the HELL are you talking about? What's a key got to do with this? And I'm nobody's _pet_!

Their struggle had moved them to the walls of the manor, the cat simply moving with Roxas as he twisted and shoved. Getting bored of his captive's struggles, the brawler simply huffed and threw him into the nearest brick surface. Stars exploded in front of Roxas' eyes, and he clutched his head as the world tilted around him. His vision eventually cleared, and he looked up to see his attacker looming over him.

"HAH! Think Ol' Petey wouldn't remember? I've seen you loads, kid, and every time you was with a black cloaker, wavin' a keyblade about!"

He leaned down so that his face was level with Roxas, putrid breath curling across the young man's face as he spoke.

"Me an' Maleficent's been busy, and we got time to look at Norty's old records. We _know_ you had something to do with Mr. hero-pants Sora kid, and that means you can get me outta this datascape nonsense and back into the real world!"

He drew his fist back, and it began… crackling?

"So I'll ask nicely once, pipsqueak – get me outta this mess, or I clobber you!"

His eyes wide as dishes, Roxas flattened himself closer to the wall;

"I don't know what you're talking abo-!"

was all he managed to choke out, before the cat grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him upright.

"Wrong answer."

The fist drew back even more, white light flaring around it as it crackled even louder, before hurtling towards his face. His instincts took over, his arms rising to cover his head, and a fierce wave of fizzling heat assaulted him.

Red light burst before his closed eyelids, a high-pitched whine filling his ears, but no force hit him. His body, seized up as the fist had sped towards him, curled further in on itself, but the blow that had yet to connect. He cracked one eye open, then both shot open in wonder and shock. The brawler's fist, still crackling with repressed energy, hung motionless in the air before his raised arms… which were radiating a bright white aura. The light wasn't hurting his arms, nor was the glow affecting his sight, but Pete's piggish eyes were narrowed against the glare, and his fist was shaking where it came into contact with the luminance.

Barely thinking, Roxas thrust his glowing hands out towards his opponent's face, eyes screwed shut once more as he wished for the best… and was rewarded with a bellow of pain. He was dropped immediately, meeting the ground with a gasp as his outstretched fingers curled around something cylindrical. Opening his eyes, he was greeted with what was possibly the most ridiculous weapon he could have ever imagined… an oversized key? The teeth and shaft were bright silver, the guard a warm gold, and some kind of stylized mouse head hung from the end from a short chain. The concept was ridiculous, its existence and appearance completely impossible – so why did its presence fill him with a comforting sense of safety and nostalgia? He hopped lightly to his feet, the weapon filling him with a warmth that eliminated the hurts from his earlier fight.

Roxas rotated his wrist, the weapon comfortably balanced in his grasp, before dropping into a curiously familiar, low-balanced stance.

The cat had got stumbled back after Roxas' surprise attack, still clutching his nose from the hit to his face. Snarling, he dropped his hand and pointed at Roxas.

"See! I knew you was lyin', so use that goshdarned thing and GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

With those words, the brawler fumbled at his belt and raised some small object aloft. The air, deadly silent in those few instants, was rent by a delicate 'crack', and an indigo aura flared around Pete's raised fist. Roxas flung himself out of the way of a dark-coloured fireball, the weapon raised in front of his face. The flames hit the wall, blazing up into a shadow-tainted inferno. Pete threw his head back and roared with laughter, more of the oily black flames gathering around both of his fists. It became a deadly game of cat and mouse, Roxas cursing as he hastily dodged the flames, occasionally deflecting a projectile with his new weapon. A particularly fast fireball smacked into the shaft of the weapon, driving him back. Manic laughter split the air, his opponent sending yet more waves of flame at the nimble keybearer with every swing of his arms.

Pete's bellows and Roxas' occasional cries of pain had swiftly become the music to their lethal, endless dance. The keyblade may have provided Roxas with new reserves of strength, but these quickly depleted as he ducked and dodged around the clearing. His breath caught as he twisted once more, desperately avoiding another of the never-ending projectiles. He'd barely deflected the last few well-aimed missiles, and his arms now trembled from the strain of the simple movement of lifting his weapon from dragging on the ground. Yelping, he dropped to the ground to avoid another fireball, the move putting him face-to-flame with the still-burning fires from 'Petey's' attacks… and the scene blurred for a split second, the flames changing from midnight black to a more normal red. He straightened again to face his opponent, keyblades bared in an X formation… huh?

He blinked and shook his head, mindlessly dodging another two fireballs, which roared into the wall behind him and stuck there, morphing into another patch of dark fire. Roxas' body folded into another of the instinctive rolling movements, allowing to him move out of range of the fire, but landing him directly beside Pete. The brawler turned towards him, sadistic grin lit up by the dark flames twisting around his arms. Face twisting into snarl, Roxas felt his ire rise, and steeled himself before dashing forward. The keyblade whipped into Pete's portly stomach, wiping the smirk from his face and sending him teetering backwards.

The cat threw his arms out to regain his balance as Roxas skipped backwards, the remaining dark flames flying away from the brawler. One dark blot disappeared into the woods, while the other sailed over the high gates into the front of the mansion, disappearing through a window in an explosion of glittering glass fragments. Roxas looked away from the house, sinking into a low stance and positioning his keyblade before him in a two-handed grip. Pete's mouth slammed shut, and he regarded Roxas for a few uncomfortable seconds, the flames on his fists finally gone. He looked at his arms, seemingly only realizing this as his expression morphed from shocked to upset to thunderstruck.

"Whu… THAT WAS THE LAST OF IT!"

he bellowed, before letting out an outraged roar. He swung his fists high above his head, before sending them crashing into the ground. A series of purple-edged shockwaves shot towards Roxas, swiftly followed by a wrathful Pete. He jumped over the first swell, tucking his head down and somehow rolling out of the way of the rest. He let out a hoarse shout as Pete wheeled around to follow him, eyes wide with fury. He would never know how he managed to deflect the blows, his keyblade swinging wildly before him and somehow intercepting the villain's attacks as he scuttled backwards.

Yelping, he threw himself into another of the instinctive backwards rolls, narrowly evading a swinging fist, only to smack into a hard surface. His mouth opened in a soundless scream at the pain in his back, but he pushed through the pain to regain his footing, only to duck away from another blow. He jabbed the keyblade upwards, hitting the arm out of the way, but in doing so lost his tenuous stance and dropped forward onto his knees. Clutching his chest as he heaved in ragged gulps of air, Roxas sagged against the brick wall, helpless and exhausted before his opponent.

Pete raised one massive fist, a merciless glint in his shadowed gaze. Lightning snapped around his arm once more, his mouth curling up into a cruel sneer. Roxas cringed back, keyblade raised in a weak defence before him… only to stare as a semi-solid white mass struck Pete's head, a high, indecipherable yell splitting the air. The brawler ceased his attack in shock, raising a hand to his head as he turned to look in the direction of the attack. Grimacing, Roxas gathered his remaining strength and kicked away from the wall, managing to get his feet under him and flee his distracted opponent. Using the respite to catch his breath, Roxas finally had a chance to survey the battlefield. The previously green clearing was now a mess of charred grass and small fires, of both the normal and 'dark-Pete' variety. Pete himself was standing a few metres away, yelling something at Roxas' savior that didn't quite penetrate the buzz in his ears. He craned his head to the side, looking past Pete… only to sag back in disbelief as he took in the sight of the cloaked girl from that morning.

His ears were still buzzing. Roxas shook his head, partly to relieve the whine but mostly from disbelief. He stopped when a sharp pain shot through his head, the shaking not helping the ache caused by a combination of confusion and being thrown about by Pete. Pete. He looked towards the brawler's back – he was still shouting things at the girl, and seemed to have forgotten about Roxas entirely. Squaring his shoulders, he hefted his weapon and dashed towards Pete.

Swooping low, he drove the weapon into the brawler's knees, then twisted mid-step to jam his shoulder into the side of his foe's impressive stomach, sending him crashing into the nearby wall. His momentum carried him towards the girl, and he came to a stop to her left as Pete crashed to the ground with a frustrated yell. Roxas narrowed his eyes at the girl, memories of their conversation and the sick feeling of anxiety it had caused still fresh in his mind. Pete groaned behind them and he stiffened, grimacing before moving to stand beside her. She was strange, and unsettling, and may or may not have been responsible for the day's events, but she was his only ally in this fight against Pete. And she _had_ saved his life. Sighing, he looked back towards the portly cat, who was now laboring to his feet. Predicting combat, Roxas shifted back into the crouched stance, his keyblade held back before him with two hands. The girl shifted beside him, and he felt his frustration growing. Pete finally stood before them, face arranged in his typical snarl. He clenched his huge hands into fists, clearly readying himself for a fight, and Roxas' temper broke.

"Look. I don't know anything about a machine or a 'datascape'."

He lowered his gaze to his keyblade, scowling at it for an instant before raising it above his head and glaring at Pete once more.

"I don't know anyone else with something like this, and I'm _really_ sick of people treating me like I'm someone else!"

Pete raised one eyebrow, mouth still set stubbornly in a snarl.

"Uh huh? Well, _I'm_ really sick of youse key brats and Xehanort wannabes getting in my way. MOVE IT!"

Roxas had no time to decipher the statement before a volley of large black objects were sent screaming towards them. He instinctively raised his keyblade, slashing the air before him to deflect one of the outermost projectiles. He had a split second to notice two of the central missiles exploding harmlessly in a bright stream of electricity before a solid weight slammed into his stomach. He swore he heard a sharp *crack! *, although it was almost drowned out by the constant thrum of explosions in the surrounding air. Staggering to his feet from where the blast had thrown him, Roxas looked up, his eyes widening at the dark shape looming above him. Pain enveloped his body. An agonized yell rent the air, joined by an inhuman cackle.

He was barely aware of the lack of ground beneath his feet, or the choking pressure at his throat. Darkness clouded his vision, silver flashes crowding its edges and plucking at his mind. Oblivion whispered at the edge of his consciousness, a sweet relief. His eyes were screwed shut, breaths shallow and rasping at the white-hot bands of agony that constricted his chest.

"Wakey wakey, Blondie!"

The force that held him aloft suddenly tensed, then shook his exhausted body from side to side. Silver filled his vision, his mouth opening in a shrill scream as jagged spears of pain were driven ever further into his torso. His eyes flew open, Pete regarding him with a sadistic smile as he thrust one fist out to the side.

"Last chance, kid – I got a star doo-hickey that don't work, a boss that expects me back yesterday, and Vennie-boy, I'm absolutely …"

A crackling noise filled the air, Pete's outstretched hand beginning to glow.

"All"

Roxas' fingers twitched uselessly, his weapon lost sometime after Pete had slugged him.

"Outta"

The lightning roped around Pete's fist was blinding him, brighter now than the spiraling silver void that beckoned just beyond the bounds of consciousness.

"Patience."

Roxas shut his eyes, and welcomed the shining Oblivion.

A noise, and his eyes flew open once more. The pressure on his shirtfront disappeared, and he was dropped to the ground as a small, shadowy figure flickered through his field of vision. He cried out in pain as his screaming ribs narrowly avoided the scorched earth, his shoulder taking the brunt of the fall. He barely noticed the sudden absence of his tormentor, instead locking his gaze on the cloaked figure before him… and his new weapon, his 'keyblade', held out before her. A momentary ripple of confusion washed through his dizzied mind,

" – _why does she have it it's_ mine _only I can touch it –_ wait. What?"

Her chest heaving, the young woman stared at Pete, now lying unconscious some distance away, before sighing and allowing the weapon to drop to her side. Dismissing his bemused tangle of thoughts, he shifted his gaze from her hand to her face, just as she turned her head to look at him. Reserved blue eyes met his shocked gawk, her mouth opening as if to speak, but the only noise that disturbed the tentative calm was a hoarse croak. Her face took on an almost comical look of confusion, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.

Roxas surged to his knees, weaving slightly in pain as he leaned over the young woman's prone form. He hovered beside her, half-forgotten CPR training videos running through his mind – clear the area, call an ambulance, give her a hi-potion – what the _hell_ was a hi-potion? Pain clouded the space behind his eyes as he shook his head, leaning back on his heels, hands pressed into his eye sockets as he chased the blurry recollections hovering at the edge of his memory. He was so close, the images sharpening, faces clearing… and a sharp scream split the air. His gaze shot back to the unconscious form of the young woman, who had curled herself into a ball, her unoccupied hand pressing against her heart. He leaned over her once more, before falling back in shock as she screeched once again; a never-ending sound of pain that drilled at his mind.

"What's wrong? What can I do?" he shouted.

His exclamations went unheard over the girl's shrieks, but still he kept up a steady stream of loud question as he flitted his eyes over her shaking form. The only change he noticed was a faint glow around his keyblade, still clutched tightly in her hand and, panicked by his uselessness and the invasive noise, he grabbed hold of it and wrenched it from her grip with a yell of frustration. She screamed once more, the noise warbling inside his ears as he stumbled back to a standing position, his reclaimed weapon held tightly in his fist. Her body seized in on itself, limbs rigid and left hand pressed tightly to her heart, before a bright light exploded around her torso. The light pulsed slightly, as if in time with a heartbeat, and Roxas was forced to shield his eyes as it blazed briefly outwards before dying away, leaving no trace but its after-effects on the inside of his eyelids, like the red shadows of the setting sun. Her cry halted with the fading of the light, his ears ringing in the sudden silence. Lowering his hand, Roxas looked to where the glow had originated, only to find that the young woman's hand had slipped from her heaving torso, and now lay outstretched at her side, fingers loosely curled around… the hilt of… _another_ keyblade?

Astounded, Roxas stared at the weapon in his hand. It seemed completely identical to the one that the girl held, his eyes darting between the two as his confusion mounted. He dropped to his knees to compare the two, and had just leaned towards the unconscious figure when her eyes flickered open and she jerked upwards, startling him back onto his heels. She squinted in his general direction, blinking copiously until her gaze focused on his face. Her gaze suddenly dropped to his keyblade, eyebrows furrowing and mouth dropping open slightly as she twisted to the left, her arm lifting to allow her to examine the object in her grasp. She held an oversized silver key: gold handguard, silver shaft and mouse charm: it was truly identical to the weapon he held, like a reflection in a mirror.

Her gaze lifted from her wide-eyed perusal of the object to meet Roxas', almost as if in supplication, before her stare shot to his right, and a low groan sounded behind him. Her expression morphed from shock to fear as she continued to look over his shoulder. He crumpled inwardly, but twisted around into a half-crouch that allowed him to face the downed brawler. He raised his eyes to glare at the no-doubt arisen Pete, resignedly hefting his weapon, and was greeted with a formless swirl of colour and sound.

A whine filled his ears as the earth dipped and plunged around him, sky and ground surging and inverting in a nauseating eddy. He struggled to stay on his feet in the unsteady clash, then nearly lost his balance as Pete, who had somehow clambered to his feet and had his hands clamped to his ears, simply blinked out of existence. He spun back around to face his remaining companion, the movement almost sedate amidst the whirling world. She simply looked at him, stoic in the face of the forest dissolving around them. Her cloak whipped around her as he met her eyes: eyes that danced between sadness, inexplicably frightening apathy, and… joy? That gaze: the eye of the storm: his focal point in the surrounding chaos… until the chaos simply ceased to be.

 _Shining silver, encircled by chains… and so, so tempting. Warmth, protection, love… all his for one little surrender…_

Roxas shot up into a sitting position, yanking himself away from the warmth cocooning him. Or, at least he tried to. It clung to him, rendering him immobile. He thrashed his limbs, throwing himself sideways and letting out a muffled yell. He felt his world give way, teetering on the edge of the precipice for an instant before he fell. Finally succeeding in kicking off the sheets, he sat up on the floor beside his bed and let the panic from his dream fade away. The cloaked girl with her unsettling words, dead-eyed friends hidden on the corner of an empty street, huge brawling cat-men… it was all a dream. It had to be. Clambering onto the bed as he shook off the remaining hold of sleep and his duvet, he threw open the window and looked out over the peaceful silence of Twilight Town.

He strolled down the back alley; determinedly not thinking about the lack of people… maybe there was some event on today that he had forgotten about?

"It can't be the scramble cup, that's not for another few days…"

he muttered absent-mindedly to himself, ducking under the curtain, and wandering over to the absent box in the corner of their usual spot. He grinned slightly at his friend's lack of acknowledgement; they seemed pretty engrossed in their quiet conversation. He continued to dream up reasons for the empty streets, before Hayner's loud statement interrupted his musings. The words that followed, however, froze the blood in his veins, and he looked up sharply.

""Man, doesn't that tick you off?"

"Yeah, that's just wrong."

A familiar curl of nauseating anxiety took hold of his stomach, despite his best efforts to quash it.

"Guys, what're we talking about again?"

Hayner and Pence ignored him, Olette piping up from the corner;

"Seifer's gone too far this time."

Anxiety and fear slammed into him like a freight train, and he stared at the trio, mouth open. Hayner suddenly looked up and fixed him with a robotic stare for a few seconds, before nodding animatedly as if Roxas had spoken and jumping from his perch to pace the floor. His expression remained unchanged. Backing away from the… things that looked like his friends, Roxas stumbled out of their spot, Hayner's next mechanical sentence following him out;

"I mean, its true that stuff's been stolen around town…"

His legs shaking, Roxas managed to stagger halfway up the back alley before he collapsed against a wall festooned with posters. Dropping his head into his hands, he attempted to make some sense of the events that now seemed less and less like a dream, and more like some sickening facsimile of reality. Raising his head, he stared helplessly towards the distant sunset.

"What the hell is happening here?" 

* * *

_(Maybe If I act natural they'll forget about the 7-month absence)_

 _Yet more confusion to follow when we rejoin Xion (that's gonna be the format of this story – alternating viewpoints and the occasional chapter with other people!). There will rarely be an overlap in events/time periods as extensive as the last two chapters, unless it's for important events – reading the same scenarios twice isn't for everyone. The next chapter_ should _be up within a month. Thanks again to any & all reviews, faves and follows – I treasure them all!_

 _-Arrow out-_


End file.
